Just did this on my NC based 86 w/ 215 k miles.  Not bad at all.  the 2
allen head bolts no problem.  I did soak them w/ PB blaster for 15 minutes
or so before trying to turn them.  Then I left the nut on the bolt to
protect the threads and whacked it a few times with a 3# hammer.  Nothing.
I borrowed some tools from the autozone for this project, I was removing my
spindle.  I asked for a tie rod end remover but I think they gave me a
pittman arm remover.  It worked on the tie rod end and also to push the
upper ball joint out of the spindle.  Autozone seemed to have a wide variety
of loaner tools.  You charge them on your CC and they refund it when you
bring them back.

Edward

On Tue, Jun 28, 2011 at 10:18 AM, pickle vanagon <greenvanagon@gmail.com>wrote:

> Best case scenario is that after all the unbolting/disassembly, you take a
> pickle-fork and a big hammer and whack real hard a few times and it pops
> out
> of the spindle assembly.
>
>
> Worst case scenario is that it doesn't budge no matter what you do, so you
> have to remove the spindle and take it to a machine shop to have the old
> joint pressed out.  (In which case you'll be repacking your wheel bearings
> on the reassembly, and you should have them press out the lower joint as
> well so you can replace it so long as the spindle is out.)
>
>
> Normal is closer to the best case scenario.  I think the worst case
> scenario
> is pretty uncommon.
>
>
>
> On Mon, Jun 27, 2011 at 6:27 PM, John Goubeaux <john@ucsb.edu> wrote:
>
> > Is the replacement of the top ball joints as easy as indicated by some
> > of the info posted ?  eg a simple un-bolt procedure ?
> >
> > Anyone recently done this that might comment on the process ?
> >
> > OH yeh, this would be for a 90 Vanagon
> >
> >
> > -john
> >
>